Paul Nieboer proposed a three week research period to consider the social position of the stranger; the term ‘stranger’ coming form an essay by Georg Simmel of the same title. He himself would be a stranger wandering through the streets of Athens, Observing other people, trying to Relate and to Arrange new information.
From his own position as an artist, he looks at how the stranger relates to his surroundings and how he tries to make his sense out of it. And also he thinks about the question: what is the thin line between the comforts and the vulnerability of being a stranger? The thin line between a tourist and someone who is just lost. These terms were further explored and also re-placed in different hierarchies in the initial diagram of words (Observation, Relation, Arrangement).
Offering the chance to engage in the ‘landscape’ of the stranger not only with observation but also throughout placement. Using the camera, and pictures as first material of registration and then the placement in the space of a room and of a page.
With the kind support of European Cultural Foundation:
In the work of Paul Nieboer the finding of materials is often a leading aspect. Giving form to these materials is a way of looking at how meaning and value come to exist. The process of making and presenting work is for him a good opportunity for collaboration and leaving his comfort zone. Currently Paul is finishing his degree in Fine Arts at the academy of St. Joost in Den Bosch, The Netherlands and he lives in Tilburg.
